The Dawgs had to forfeit their home opener last week because the used turf they acquired didn't fit their arena. Sunday's effort was slightly above forfeit grade.

"I think we intimidated them right away with the way we came out and hit them," Explosion coach Shawn Liotta said in the understatement of the afternoon.

Explosion defensive lineman Zach Williams, formerly of Cathedral Prep and Kent State, spent so much time in Kane County's backfield he probably could have called the Dawgs' plays. Maybe he did, judging from the way things went.

Williams had four of the Explosion's eight sacks of Dawgs quarterback Haven Mosely and recovered a fumble on the Kane County 1-yard-line in what eventually became a 69-13 blowout.

"We were rotating guys on them," said Williams, who, along with Bob Hammer and Andre Portis, who had three sacks, blew up pretty much everything Mosely and the Dawgs tried to do. "I think we just have a different style of rush, and they couldn't get used to what we were doing."

Kane County, located near Chicago, was never in the game, and the Dawgs left Erie for a long ride back to Illinois probably feeling like they had just absorbed a pounding from one of the Continental Indoor Football League's elite teams.

And maybe they did.

But whether or not the Explosion (3-0) are a title contender remains to be seen. They have a home date this Sunday with Marion, which they edged 42-40 on the road in their season opener.

And they have yet to play Saginaw, which improved to 4-0 Sunday with a 63-49 win over Detroit. The Explosion visit the Sting on March 29.

By most accounts, this was your standard, well-coached Liotta team and your standard, mostly smooth but with a wart or two indoor game.

There were a few inexplicable delays between snaps. Music played over the referee's mike a few times. A dance team from Edinboro was supposed to perform at halftime but reportedly went home when they couldn't find parking around the arena.

But the promotions were crisp and cute, and the crowd was enthusiastic. And the football was, well, very one-sided. Which was good for the home team.

It was interesting to see Liotta, a relentless devotee of the passing game, employ read option thanks to run-friendly CIFL rules that keep linebackers five yards off the ball.

One beneficiary of that is former Mercyhurst University standout Richard Stokes, who rushed for 71 yards and four touchdowns Sunday. It was the sort of workload Stokes used to get with the Lakers, but not the typical day by an indoor football back.

"It was a lot of fun," said Stokes, who thinks the Explosion have more than they showed Sunday. "I think we can be a championship contender. Right now I don't think we're playing up to our level of talent, but I think we're going to get there."